Draft-rigging.



W. P. BETTENDURF.

DRAFT EIGGING. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1908.

Patented June 7 19m.

W. P. BETTENDORF.

DRAFT RIGGING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1908.

Patented June 7, 1910.

2 BHEETS-SHBET 2.

UNITED STATES PATElt T WILLIAM .P. BETTENDORF, OF DAVENPORT, IOXVA.

DRAFT-RIGGING.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, VVJLLIAM P. Bnrrrae noun, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of town, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft- Riggings and Supports Therefor, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact deseription.

My invention relates to draft rigging for cars the underfraines of which have a single center-sill consisting, preferably, of a commercial rolled inetal beam.

The object of my invention is to provide a draft rigging that can be inserted and secured in the end of a single center-sill, and impart thereto the strain of the push or pull of the car-coupler in such manner that said strain will be distributed throughout the center-sill and so that the wear and tear will not exceed that of the conventional Master ar Builders standard designs.

A further object is to so construct the end of the. draw-bar of the coupler that it can avoid interference with the integral web ligament connecting the upper and lower bifurcations of the bifurcated ends of the center-sill. This I accomplish by the means hereinafter fully destn'ibed, and as particularly pointed out in the. claims.

lu the drawings :--l*igure 1 shows a central section of the broken away end of the umlta't'ranie of a car having my improvements applied thereto. F 2 is a "transverse section of the center-sill taken on dotted line 2, 2, Fig. 1, showing my invention applied thereto. l ig. 3 is a perspective view of the broken away rear end of the draw-bar of the car-coupler. Fig. i is a longitudinal horizontal section through the draft rigging and end portion of the centersill, taken on line i-4-, Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawings the single center-sill A consists of an I-beani, the ends of which are bifurcated to provide an upper and lower leg a, (1 respectively. The end of the upper leg is connected by means of suitable castings 7) to the channel-beam endsill B of the. under frame, and the extremity of the lower leg is connected by rivets or otherwise to a shelf 0 projecting rearwardly froinabout the center of width of the lower horizontal part of the cast metal frame, through the opening in which the. draw-bar (I of the car-con iler extends. bar extends bat nto the longituo.

space Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 4, 1908.

-the springs Patented June 2?, 192m. Serial No. 436,655.

separating the legs of the bifurcated end of the center-sill a suitable distance, and its rear end is provided with a vertical slot d,

tween the longitudinally extending opening X, in which the parts of the draft-rigging are located, and the space a separating legs (a, a. Opening X, preferably, alines with and is greater in height than space a and the vertical edge of the web forming its rear end is reinforced and strengthened by east metal-plates F, and its longitudinal edges and the corresponding edges of the rear portion of space a are reinforced by a U shaped angle-iron strip G, whose bend extends around the rear semi-circular end of plates F, substantially as shown in the drawings, and as described and claimed in an application for Letters Patent of the United States for improvements in draft rigging, filed by me in the United States Patent ()tiiee, May 23, 1908, and numbered 434,669.

As before stated, opening X is designed to retain certain parts of the draft rigging, prominent among which is the housing 2 for This housing consists of a tubular casing, which, preferably, is square in cross-section and has its rear end i that bears against the forward ends of reinforcing plates E, closed, and its forward end open. This housing is placed in opening X, and retained therein by brackets 5 tha-Qare secured by rivets or bolts to the vertical portions f the angle-iron binding strip G below opening X, and have upturned ends that prevent the. lateral dis lacenient of said housing. The length of housing 2 is loss than opening X and its forward end does not reach column E, and in the space between said column and housing a buffingblock 6 is placed, which consists of a substantially rectangular plate of sufficient thickness, which is kept normally in engagement with the rear extremities of extensions by the pressure of the springs 3,

the medium of a suitable follower- 7, and eecentrieally jotirnaled earn- Iii blocks 8, 9 respectively. The follower-plate 7 is of such outer dimensions and contours that it can tit and have sliding engagement with the bore of the housing, and the camblocks are suitably interposed between the follower-plate and the butter-plate.

A short distance from its rear end the sides of the drawbar are, preferably, built out or provided with bosses, and are provided with a transverse opening, which strikes through said bosses, and forms a seat for a transverse key 1.0, whose ends project beyond the sides of the draw-bar a suitable distance. The vertical. sides of the housing are, preferably, in the same longitudinal vertical plane as the outer surfaces of the bosses of the draw-bar, and said housing, at about its center of length and in the same horizontal plane as the key 10 has trunnions 11 projecting from its sides which are connected by links 12 with the projecting ends'of key 10. The openings 13 in the forward ends of the links, through which the ends of the key pass. are elongated longitudinally to permit the links to have a slight forward movement,

or the draw-bar to have a slight rearward movement imlcpei'idcnt of the other, but the rear ends of the links move w1th the housing at all tnnes.

distance, and, through the medium of the bull'enblock and the rolling members 8, 9,

slightly compresses the springs 3, which latter neutralize the shock and impart the strain through the rear end of opening X to the center-silt until the ends of the key come in contact with the rear end of elongated openingslfi of the links 12, whereupon the butting strain is imparted direct to the housing of the springs and, through it to the centersill. \Vhen the draw-bar is subjected to a pulling strain, the key 10, through the medium of links 12 draws the housing forward and con'ipresses springs 3 against the follower-plate 7, members 8 and 9, the milling-block l3, and the column E, until the limit of the forward compression of the springs is reached, or until said springs compress sullicient to resist the pulling strain. Thus it will be seen that the pulling strain is in'ipartcd to the center-sill and, throu h it, to the under-frame of the car, through the medi um of the column E, and the bufiing or pushing strain, which is much greater than the pulling strain, is imparted to the centersill through the rear end of opening X and the plates reinforcing thesame to the centersill.

WVhat I claim asncw is 1. In a car the combination with an endsill and a single ccnter-sill the end of which is bifurcated, ot a car-coupler having a draw-bar the shank of which is disposed between said bifurcations and is constructed so as to pass on either side of a portion of the web of said center-sill, and springs normally exerting a forward pressure against said draw-bar.

2. In a car the combination with an endsill and a single center-sill the end of which is bifurcated and provided with. an opening back of said bifurcation, of a car-coupler having a draw-bar the shank of which is disposed between said bifurcations and is constructed so as to pass on either side of a portion of the web of said center-sill, and springs mounted within the opening in said center-sill and normally exerting a forward pressure against said draw-bar.

8. The combination with the end-sills of a car, and a single rolled metal beam centersill the ends of which are connected to said' end-sills and are bifurcated and provided with a longitudinally elongated opening in alinenient with and separated from the bifurcations, of a vertically disposed integral portion or column of the web of said centersill, of a draw-bar entering the space between said bifurcations, and having :1 longitudinal slot therein to enable it to pass on either side of'said column, longitudinally disposed springs, means supporting said springs that normally engage the rear end of said opening, and longitmunally disposed links connect ng said spring supporting means to the draw-bar.

4. The combination with the end-sills of a car, and a single rolled metal center-sill the ends of which are connected to said end- ;sills and are bifurcated and provided with a longitudinally elongated opening in alinement with and separated from the bifurcations by .a vertically disposed intcgral-portion of-the web of said center-sill, of a drawbar entering the space between said bifurcations and having its rear end slotted, a

transverse key seated in a suitable opening in the rear portion of the draw-bar and having its rear end projecting laterally beyond the sides of the same, longitudinally disposed springs, means for supporting the same in said longitudinally elongated opening that normally engage the rear end of the latter, and longitudinally disposed links the forward ends of which are provided with longitudinally elongated openings which are fitted over the projecting ends of said key, and engage with said spring support mg means.

5. In a car'the combination with end-sills, and a single rolled metal beam center-sill the ends of which are connected to said endsills and bifurcated longitudinally, and are provided with a longitudinal opening alining with and separated from said bifurcations by a vertically disposed integral part or column of the web of said center-sill, longitudinally disposed springs and reciprocal means for retaining the same, of a draw-bar movable in the space between said bifurcations and having a vertical slot in its rear f end, a butler-block interposed between said springs and draw-bar, and links connecting the spring retaining means and said draw- Dar.

(3. In a car the combination with endsills, and a single rolled metal beam center sill the ends of which are connected to said end-sillsand bifurcated longitudinally, and are provided with a longitudinal opening alining with. and separated from said bifurcations by a vertically disposed integral part or column of the web of said center sill, longitudinally disposed springs and reciprocal means for retaining the same, of a draw-bar movable in the space between said bifurcations, and having a vertical slot in its rear end, a butter-block interposed between said springs and draw-bar and engaging the latter at the rear of the said vertically disposed column, and links connecting the spring retaining means and said drawbar. T. The combination with the end-sills of a car, and a single rolled metal beam centersill the ends of which are connected to said end-sills and are bifurcated and provided with a longitudinally elongated opening in alinement with and separated from the bifurcations of a vertically disposed integral portion or column of the web of said centersill, of a draw-bar entering the space between said bifurcations, and having a longitudinal slot. in the rearcnd thereof to enable it to pass on either side of said column, longitudinally disposed springs, means supporting said springs that normally engage the rear end of said opening, and longitudinally disposed links connecting said spring supporting means to the draw-bar.

8. The combination .with the end-sills of a car, and a single rolled metal beam centersill the endsot' which are connected to said end-sills and are bifurcated and provided with a longitudinally elongated opening in alinement with and separated from the bifurations of a vertically disposed integral portion or column of the web of said centersill, of a draw-bar entering the space between said bifurcations and having a longitudinal slot therein to enable it to pass on eitherside of said column and have a limited reciprocal movement. longitudinally disposed springs, means supporting said WILLIAM F. BE'ITENDORF.

\Yitncsses:

(l. b. 'lnonrson, F. K. Lonny. 

